April 05, 2011, 4:10PM

Oregon House members approved a bill requiring an automatic recount in some nonpartisan races, including races for state schools superintendent and labor commissioner. Current Oregon law allows for automatic recounts when the difference between two candidates is less than one fifth of one percent, but current law does not call for automatic recounts in nonpartisan primary races where all a winner needs is 50 percent plus one vote. Full story »

January 25, 2011, 3:45PM

After narrowly losing the state schools superintendent race, former Oregon Rep. Ron Maurer, R-Grants Pass, winds up in D.C. heading the congressional liaison office for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Full story »

June 17, 2010, 8:07AM

State Superintendent Susan Castillo would not have won reelection without racking up a big vote margin in heavily Democratic Multnomah County. But her challenger, Republican state Rep. Ron Maurer, would have won if he had performed better in some of the state's most conservative counties. Full story »

June 11, 2010, 4:24PM

Lane County refuses to pay for a recount of its ballots in the Oregon superintendent of public instruction race. As a result, state Rep. Ron Maurer, R-Grants Pass, says he may be close to conceding the race to incumbent Superintendent Susan Castillo. She won 50.02 percent of the vote, with just 127 votes more than she needed to avoid a runoff in November. Full story »

June 08, 2010, 8:25PM

Challenger Ron Maurer said he may seek a recount now that Susan Castillo, Oregon's superintendent of public instruction, has just 127 votes more than the majority she needs to avoid a November run-off. Counties finished giving their final vote totals to the state Tuesday. Full story »

June 08, 2010, 12:05PM

State Superintendent Susan Castillo now has a margin of just 127 votes above the 50 percent plus one threshold she needs to avoid a runoff in her reelection race. Her challenger, state Rep. Ron Maurer, R-Grants Pass, is pondering his options. Full story »

May 18, 2010, 11:00PM

State schools superintendent Susan Castillo narrowly defeats Ron Maurer, a Republican state representative from Grants Pass, in her bid for a third term.Ted Wheeler wins the Democratic bid for State Treasurer, defeats Rick Metsger, a Democratic senator from Welches. Full story »

May 11, 2010, 8:09PM

All police know that all criminals have motives, so they look for motives to find reasons to explain why crimes are committed. But many politicians in high office and many pundits of high repute don't know, don't want to know, or don't want to let on that they know that all terrorists have motives. Full story »

May 04, 2010, 8:30AM

Oregon voters have a unique opportunity to take a bold stand on May 18. A vote to replace State Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Castillo with Ron Maurer would be a political earthquake of a magnitude not seen in Oregon since Bob Packwood ousted Sen. Wayne Morse in 1968. Full story »

May 03, 2010, 6:30AM

Valerie Lovelace writes: Having been in a classroom for 20 years, I have seen a lot of change in education. Some of those changes have been positive, most notably opening opportunities for all students. Changes that are occurring under schools superintendent Susan Castillo's watch in Salem, however, are a bit frightening. Full story »